Thackeray unlikey to visit Ayodhya for Bhoomi Pujan

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is unlikely to visit Ayodhya for the bhoomi pujan for Ram temple construction there on August 5 owing to the serious COVID-19 situation in the Uttar Pradesh town, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut indicated on Monday.

"It is important that the PM is going. The chief minister (Thackeray) can go there anytime, Raut told reporters here while extending good wishes for the ceremony.

The 'bhoomi pujan' of the Ram temple is scheduled to be held on Wednesday at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The outbreak of COVID-19 in Ayodhya and surrounding areas is a matter of concern...Uttar Pradesh's minister Kamal Rani (Varun) lost life (due to the disease), while three other ministers are infected," Raut said.

"I think as less people as possible should go there and the ceremony there be held. It is important that the PM is going. The chief minister (Thackeray) can go there anytime, the Rajya Sabha member said.

Asked if Thackeray has not been invited for the ceremony, Raut said, Nobody is waiting for the invitation." He said the chief priest of the temple and security guards there have been quarantined.

The Shiv Sena does not want to give a political angle to the issue (of party leaders not being invited), he said, adding that the situation in Ayodhya is serious and a kind of medical emergency is prevailing there".

"And you (the media) are asking about who is going and all. As less number of people as possible should go there...we will go there later, Raut said, adding that even BJP veterans like L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, who played key roles in the temple campaign, were unlikely to attend the ceremony due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Shiv Sena had laid the foundation of the temple construction, he said.

The temple construction would not be possible had the Babri mosque not been brought down, he said.

The BJP, VHP and the Sangh Parivar accepted that it was the Shiv Sainiks (Shiv Sena workers) who had "pulled down the mosque", he said.